


Memory Lane

by AmethystQueen



Series: Too-Perfect Gordon AU [2]
Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self-Aware, Half-Life
Genre: Gen, Gordon is 27 right?, I made up Gordon's wife's name, The original characters are Gordon's wife and family, he is now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25605202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmethystQueen/pseuds/AmethystQueen
Summary: A peek into several moments in Gordon's life.
Series: Too-Perfect Gordon AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1835812
Comments: 3
Kudos: 77





	Memory Lane

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a character study of Gordon! Just me trying to understand where the character came from lol

Gordon is 6 months old and hasn't cried once. His parents' friends all say that they are so lucky to have such a well behaved son. To not have to wake up in the middle of the night to put him back to sleep, or to try to calm his wails in the middle of the supermarket. Gordon's mother is more concerned with how their new Labradoodle won't stop barking around the infant. _It'll be fine_ , says her husband. _She'll grow out of it eventually_.

Gordon is 4 and already wearing glasses. They are a bit too large for him, constantly threatening to slip off his nose. That still doesn't stop him from running around the house full speed, lost in games of his own design. Somehow the glasses never fall off. The dog is long gone, given away to cousins living in the countryside. She is replaced by a tabby, who calmly curls around Gordon when he finally collapses on the couch in exhaustion.

Gordon is 12, sitting alone in the library again. He is rereading The Colour of Magic for the fifth time, trying to ignore the tears welling up in his eyes. Two days ago his parents had sat him down at the dinner table and told him he was adopted. Even now he couldn't believe it. Weren't adopted kids supposed to look at least a little different from the rest of the family? But every one of his parents' friends had said he was the spitting image of his father. He sniffled, turning the page. By the time the library closed, each page in the book was peppered with spots.

Gordon is 17 when she sits down, setting her lunch down next to him as if they had known each other for years. He doesn't hear the first words she says, too caught up in shock. No one had ever sat next to him in...well actually no one had since he had moved to this school. _Wanna hear a physics joke?_ , she asks with a crooked smile. He nods silently. _What do physicists enjoy the most at sporting events?...The Wave_. A small short escapes him. For the rest of the lunch period, they exchange horrible science jokes and trivia. _My name's Jane!_ , she yells from the end of the hallway when they finally part ways. And for the first time in his life, he feels true joy.

Gordon is 20 and happily married. _You're too young_ , they say. _It'll never last_. He ignores them all. Because with Jane he finally has a friend. Someone to stay up talking with as the first rays of dawn appear. Someone he can call who he knows will answer every time. Someone who will meet his eyes when he talks, who won't hesitate to hold his hand, who **chose** to be with him. With Jane he knows he is happy. And he's not going to give that up without a fight.

Gordon is 24 when he signs the divorce papers. _You're so lucky_ , they say. _To be on such good terms with your ex. Most divorcees would have blocked their partner's number by now. You must have had the perfect divorce_. He laughs awkwardly every time. Puts on a smile for Joshua when he comes to stay for the week. Makes small talk with Jane like nothing ever happened. Tries to act like the perfect divorced father everyone says he is. Every night when he is finally alone he pulls a bottle of beer from the fridge and downs it. No matter how much he drinks, he never feels a thing.

Gordon is 27, walking down the hall of Black Mesa with a security guard who refuses to leave his side. He was blabbering on about how _Gordon wasn't allowed down here without ID_ and how he was _gonna need to see his passport_. Gordon had stopped listening after the first five minutes. All he could think about was how he was already late to the test chamber and how desperately he needed his job. Being a responsible father didn't allow room for unemployment. The security guard was poking him now, trying to get his attention. Gordon took a deep breath and willed himself to stay calm. It's not like he would be spending any more time with the man anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> The Too-Perfect Gordon AU belongs to chxotic-system on tumblr! Please ask them for more specifics about the AU, I am just an eager fan XD


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